1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains generally to ground coverings for use in horticultural and floricultural grounds layouts and, more particularly to modular, pre-shaped ground covers that may be selectively disassembled and reassembled and, when in use, provide effective mulching for in-ground seedlings and plants while suppressing adverse weed growth.
The invention pertains further to devices which constitute in-ground barriers to burrowing rodents and other plant eating pests such as snails, slugs and the like.
2. Prior Art Discussion
The instant inventor is a protoartist in what is termed nuclear floriculture--a floricultural art which employs techniques such as the movably interlocking, modular ground cover assemblies of the instant invention. The nuclear flower gardens and other plant displays resulting from the application of the techniques and the use of the apparatus hereinafter disclosed may also be termed "interlocking gardens".
A detailed study of the prior art indicates a long and continuing search by horticulturists and floriculturists for the ideal ground cover which would provide a number of worthwhile characteristics such as: rodent and pest protection; mulching, i.e., the technique of retaining in-soil moisture and nutrients; fertilization; weed suppression; and ultimately, carefree usage while being versatile, easy to use and economically attractive. In addition to the foregoing characteristics, and perhaps most importantly, the resulting floricultural display must be very attractive, quite independent of the flora chosen, and each rendition should lend itself to a uniqueness of design.
Although observable in part, the aggregate of the aforementioned characteristics is not to be found in any of the prior art discovered by the applicant, indeed, not even in its totality. For example, one of the most relevant pieces of prior art, embodying some of the elements of the instant invention, is disclosed in the patent issued to Scharf, U.S. Pat. No. 4,268,992, for a Tree Protector. The invention of Scharf includes a hollow vertical shaft connected to an annular ground cover which is divided into two sections. The two sections are joined immovably at overlapping interior margins by screw means. Further to the Tree Protector invention is a plurality of holes in which are inserted hollow, foraminous hold-down spikes through which dissolved nutrients may be passed during the occasional watering required while using this invention. Because only one plant is meant to grown through the arrangement (up the vertical shaft), no concern is paid to design of other than circular shape of the ground cover, nor the likelihood of the movability of its two halves in relation to one another. The primary purpose of the Tree Protector is to provide a well within the annular ground cover that will collect water and divert it to the in-ground, hold-down spikes. There is no need to invite an interlocking mobility of the ground cover sections simply because, once constrained by the addition of the vertical shaft, they must be permanently and immovably secured to one another. Further, since the invention entertains usage with rooted stock (such as trees or large shrubs) there is no overriding need to "lock out" all light in order to rigorously suppress weed growth. Simply because, with rooted stock, topical herbicides may be applied to any seedling brazen enough to extend a shoot into the joined margins of the ground cover sections or through the hold-down spike holes. The invention of Scharf is excellent for fulfilling that inventor's goals and objects of invention; but, it falls terribly short of providing the aggregate characteristics so long sought by floriculturists such as the instant inventor.
An extremely clever device for suppressing ground plant growth surrounding a monument is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,317,309 issued to Sheldon and inclusive of novel means for retaining the suppression ground cover in position. This plant growth suppression device comprises a plurality of plastic shield pieces that are interconnected with each other and anchored by spikes placed into the ground around the monument base which is to remain weed-free by use of the plant growth suppression device. The lower surface of each shield piece may be formed with a pair of longitudinal retaining tracks and coupled with another shield piece by plate members that are retained within the longitudinal tracks across the interfaces between shield piece pairs. Since the spikes are pressed into the ground, they effectively anchor the plate members to the ground. Although inventor Sheldon did not suggest it, it is quite conceivable that his device, with its interlocking-through-track assembly margins, might be useful for plant growth suppression in other geometries. Its most notable disadvantages relative to the instant inventor's list of desired ground cover characteristics are: lack of rodent or pest protection; lack of means to selectively accommodate plant growth through the device; immobility between the various section of the overall assembly; inability to nurture and water the soil immediately below the device; and, general lack of the versatility needed to provide a variety of grounds displays. This latter disadvantage accrues more because the Sheldon interlock and hold-down means makes it practically impossible to easily remove a section of the total assembly without disturbing another section. As it may be seen later in this disclosure, the instant inventor avoids the problem involved with the use of complicated or contrived interlock mechanisms, as well as the immobility of such mechanisms, by interlocking his invention with conventional tongue-in-groove means, while sectionalizing any overall assembly into selectively attachable and removable ground cover panels. Any ground cover panel is connected to the overall assembly by rather conventional means--screws. Such fundamental and traditional connection means grant the instant invention a high degree of versatility and imbue the user with ultimate flexibility. The reader will come to appreciate these facts as the remaining prior art is discussed.
A most interesting use of preformed decorative patterns is revealed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,622,746 as a Guide For Decorative Grass Cutting, issued to Appelson in 1986. This patent is disclosive of means comprising a planar template cut to the contour of a desired pattern, laid upon the ground and interlocked to a series of support members that are used to support the template in the desired attitude and position. The interlock happens to be slightly movable, constrained mostly by the contour of the template, and constructed of a margin-in-hem apparatus that is somewhat analogous to tongue-in-groove mechanisms. Thus, there is embodied therein similar movable, tongue-in-groove joining mechanisms.
Other relevant art such as U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,041,781, 4,219,941, 4,308,688 and 4,648,203, issued to Richter, Hair, Revane and Worzek respectively, disclose other interesting means that serve as rodent barriers, moisture barriers or, in general, tree protectors. These patents combine previously known prior art features, yet exemplify, as late as 1987 in the case Worzek, the continuing struggles of the floriculturist to provide meaningful ground cover and weed suppression (with rodent barrier means) for the purposes of constructing grounds displays of great aesthetic value.
No matter how the very worth-while prior art features are combined, by even the most experienced floriculturist, nothing could be achieved in the way of gardening aids or adjuncts that would provide the full panoply of characteristics sought by the floriculturist and detailed earlier in this section. Rather then being impelled by the prior art to make the instant invention, the instant inventor was compelled by the growing demand for a flexible and inexpensive ground cover adjunct to make the instant invention and inculcate its features to the rest of the profession.